Tonga Meaning
/ˈtɒŋ.ə/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA light, two-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage used for transportation in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
nameA country and archipelago of Polynesia in Oceania. Official name: Kingdom of Tonga. Capital and largest city: Nuku'alofa.
Sentence Examples
Volcanic eruptions in Tonga have created a new island.
I live in Tonga.
Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well developed social services.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The only monarchy in the Pacific, ____, is a small group of islands.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The beautiful islands of ____ are located in the southern Pacific Ocean and are a popular destination for tourists today.
Word Origin & History
From Tongan Tonga, from Samoan toga (“southern”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Enela cleared their way through the throng, speaking in Tonga, a heavy language that freighted the air with ceremony."
— 2019, Namwali Serpell, The Old Drift, Hogarth:
"Coming up along the Cart-Road a tonga passed me, and my pony, tired with standing so long, set off at a canter."
— 1890, Rudyard Kipling, Plain Tales from the Hills:
"When his tyre went flat, he leapt off and shouted for a tonga."
— 1924, EM Forster, A Passage to India, Penguin, published 2005, page 13:
"The Muslim ladies who earlier moved out in covered palanquins, dolis and muhafas or completely veiled coaches and victorias are now obliged to go about in tongas, rikshaws and buses leaving aside the earlier scruples."
— 1972, Abulhasan 'Ali Nadvi, The Musalman, page 42:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The only monarchy in the Pacific, ____, is a small group of islands.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The beautiful islands of ____ are located in the southern Pacific Ocean and are a popular destination for tourists today.